The invention relates to a method and device for the automatic identification of components of medical apparatus systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a data carrier on a medical device and a method of automatically identifying, reading, and writing to the data carrier.
In the art, various methods for identifying components are known, these various methods work with different transmission and coding methods. As examples, there are only here cited those methods, for the identification of components, in stock keeping which primarily works with optically or magnetically readable bar codes, and similar methods for the arranging of goods, which are used, for example in mail-order companies and large department stores. Other examples are those methods and devices for the identification of moving objects, such as for the identification of vehicles such as airplanes and boats and land vehicles, which by way of electromagnetically transmitted interrogation signals, interrogate an identification code stored in a transponder in the component, i.e in the vehicle, this code then being actively or passively sent to the interrogating station. These common identification systems operate without contact but require, besides the systems interrogating the bar code, an energy source in the interrogated object.
A touch-free energy and data transmission method concerning an inductive coupling is also known in which a write-read head and the component to be interrogated each include a high frequency coil so that the component to be interrogated and the separate unit comprising the write-read head, with the identification procedure, act like a loosely coupled transformer. With the interrogating, the high frequency coil of the write-read head produces a high frequency field. The coil in the component receives the field. The coil in the component also supplies power to an electronic memory, which is connected to the coil and serves as a data carrier. Data in this memory is read out through a memory read-out and control logic. The read out data is transmitted to the high frequency coil of the components. This coil together with a capacitor form an oscillating circuit, the oscillation of which is modulated by the data read out from the memory. This modulation is in turn transmitted to the high frequency coil of the write-read head, where it is recognised and further transmitted to a receiving circuit. This type of modulation is known as absorption modulation and is for example employed in radar technology. Finally, such an absorption modulation represents a pulse width modulation.
Building on this principle, an identification method may also be realized in which the memory which is contained in the component as a data carrier not only can be read out, but can also be written to. Apart from the pure transmission of identification data it is also possible to transmit instruction signals to the data carrier, and to the component, to control functions of the data carrier and the component.
The identification system known from the previously cited EP-A-0 534 198 is employed with an endoscope. On the endoscope side, a memory for special ratings of the endoscope and a control apparatus, which can be coupled to the endoscope via contacts, are provided. The ratings can be interrogated to obtain compensation parameters for the operating parameters, to be set on the control apparatus. Such ratings which are stored in the data carrier of the endoscope, apart from compensation parameters, may also denote other parameters such as operation duration, maintenance period, serial numbers or likewise.
Further, from DE-C-37 42 900, an endoscope arrangement with a video endoscope and a control apparatus for the image sensor is described. Ratings of the endoscope, in particular the number of image spots of the image sensor, are deposited in a memory on the endoscope side which is arranged within the connector, with which the video endoscope is connected to the control apparatus. By interrogating the stored ratings, the control apparatus may then be individually adapted to the endoscope. The interrogation is effected via the contacts of the connector.
In medicine technology, in particular in endoscopics, to this day there has been no possibility of automatically interrogating and registering, without touch, ratings of several, in particular, of exchangeable components belonging to a medical apparatus system, by way of a secure method particularly suited to medicine technology. There has also been no possibility of effecting a change of the ratings of the components.
Particularly in medical endoscopics it is often necessary to prepare or sterilize optics and objectives with clinical use. Also, in the framework of quality assurance and ISO certification of clinics, preparation and sterilization cycles must be instrument-specifically documented. Only this documentation permits a clear assessing of the performance capability and reliability of the above mentioned components.